Chapter 43 — Setting the Stage
Night was the perfect cover.
Namikaze Yami held his breath, his presence sinking into the darkness as though he were nothing more than a jagged rock embedded in the shadows.
Kagura's Mind Eye spread outward like an invisible web, firmly locking onto the rapidly moving chakra source.
As the distance closed and the figure's outline—and chakra signature—became clear, Yami's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
"So it's him."
The newcomer was from the Aburame clan—a clansman of Aburame Shibi, named Aburame Shikuro.
An Aburame appearing deep within the Land of Water was no coincidence.
Yami instantly understood: this was almost certainly one of Konoha's covert intelligence channels operating inside Kirigakure.
For safety reasons, undercover agents rarely met their contacts directly. Instead, information was often passed through preset methods—such as summoning creatures to deliver messages to fixed locations, where a designated operative would retrieve them in secret.
All spies operated on single-line contact protocols. They didn't know each other, minimizing the risk of total exposure.
As for Yami's official intelligence handler?
He had never even considered making contact.
If that person belonged to Root, it would be nothing short of walking straight into a trap.
The scene before him confirmed his judgment.
Aburame Shikuro was clearly executing such a retrieval mission.
He moved with extreme caution. Swarms of kikaichū insects patrolled a several-meter radius around him as a living alarm system, while he himself carefully searched through narrow gaps between rocks.
Soon, his fingers paused.
From a stone crevice, he retrieved a small clay pellet. With a gentle squeeze, it cracked open, revealing a micro-scroll no larger than a fingernail.
He slipped the scroll into his clothing without hesitation.
Mission complete.
Without lingering, Shikuro turned to leave.
Yami's thoughts raced.
My "death" should already have reached Konoha.
Revealing himself now could cause unnecessary complications—or worse, disrupt everything he'd painstakingly set in motion.
But this was also a perfect opportunity.
Even if he couldn't show himself directly, there were ways—plenty of ways—to let someone know that Namikaze Yami might still be alive.
Decision made.
Just as Aburame Shikuro was about to withdraw—
Whoosh.
Yami flicked his wrist.
A standard-issue kunai shot through the air, its tail tightly bound with a crumpled explosive tag. It struck with pinpoint precision, embedding itself into the tree trunk right beside Shikuro.
"What?!"
Even before the kunai fully closed in, the ever-vigilant Shikuro sensed danger.
Kikaichū surged instantly, swarming around him as his body began to blur—almost dissolving into a cloud of insects, as though he were about to transform into a bug clone.
Sensing that the kunai's trajectory was not aimed directly at him, Aburame Shikuro abruptly halted his movement.
The kunai embedded itself into the tree trunk, and the forest returned to absolute silence.
No follow-up attack.
No trace of the attacker.
Nothing—except that abruptly appearing kunai.
Relying on experience, Shikuro judged that the weapon had been thrown from an extreme distance.
He remained on guard for several seconds, then cast one last, deep look at the kunai before turning away and vanishing into the dense forest at top speed.
Whoever the other party was—and whatever their intention—his priority was clear: deliver the intelligence first.
As for this strange incident, it would be for the higher-ups to analyze.
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Several Days Later — Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the intelligence scroll brought back by Aburame Shikuro, along with the accompanying mission report, lost in thought.
"During the handoff, a standard-issue kunai suddenly flew in… with an explosive tag attached. But there was no follow-up action?"
Still unable to grasp the intent, he looked up and confirmed once more:
"Is that correct?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Aburame Shikuro replied calmly.
"Based on the throwing force and angle, the kunai was launched from very far away.
The attacker did not appear to be trying to kill me—more like issuing a warning, or conveying some kind of message."
Hiruzen frowned.
A warning?
A signal?
Or pressure from an internal Kirigakure faction?
Shikuro was about to withdraw when the office door suddenly opened.
Tsunade stepped inside.
Though she appeared outwardly composed, the fatigue in her eyes had yet to fade.
Hiruzen, already lacking clarity, decided to bring her into the discussion and briefly explained the incident.
When Tsunade heard that Shikuro had been "attacked" by a kunai with an explosive tag, her expression shifted subtly.
"Shikuro," she said quickly, "describe that kunai and the tag again. Carefully."
After thinking for a moment, Shikuro answered:
"I didn't retrieve it, in case it was trapped—but I observed it closely.
The kunai itself was completely standard.
But the explosive tag… it looked different.
As if it had been casually crumpled beforehand—wrinkled, not pristine."
Tsunade fell silent.
Her suspicion was confirmed.
A trace of restrained joy flickered through her eyes.
After Shikuro withdrew, she finally spoke her thoughts aloud.
"I can't be certain," she said quietly, "but… it might have been that Namikaze kid."
She explained the previous incidents involving the same kind of 'fake explosive tag'.
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
"You're saying Namikaze Yami isn't dead—and is still operating inside Kirigakure?"
Then he paused, confused.
"But if that's the case… why wouldn't he return? Why not reveal himself?
Does he not trust the village?"
"Judging from the reports," Tsunade replied evenly,
"his 'exposure' was suspicious from the start."
Meanwhile — Land of Water, Outskirts of the Kaguya Clan Territory
Using Flying Thunder God, Namikaze Yami had already returned quietly.
Whether Konoha would react or not—the seed had been planted.
Now, it was up to fate.
From the shadows, Yami observed as Kaguya Naoto, pressured by furious clan members, once again headed to the Mizukage Tower.
The argument inside appeared fierce.
Even after leaving, Naoto's expression remained grim.
But Yami noticed something crucial:
The Mist ANBU watching the Kaguya clan were gradually withdrawing.
Naoto's hardline stance had worked.
The Mizukage clearly had no desire to push the Kaguya clan into outright rebellion—and chose compromise.
Unfortunately for them, Yami had no intention of letting the fire die out.
If things ended here, all his groundwork would be wasted.
If the ANBU stepped back—
then it was time for the prestigious Yuki clan to take the stage.
Like a wandering specter, Yami moved through the forests and streams surrounding the Kaguya territory.
Whenever he stopped, he extended his palm and lightly touched tree bark or stone.
Where his hand passed, a thin layer of frost formed—
or a sharp trace remained, as if carved by an ice blade.
Anyone arriving soon enough could still detect the lingering Ice Release chakra.
He was meticulous.
Each trace was small.
Each placement deliberate.
Distributed evenly across all directions around the Kaguya clan.
It was as if he were weaving an invisible net—
one designed to herd the Kaguya clan straight onto the stage he had prepared.
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